Pakistan's tribal region to have special force: official

Pakistan will put in place a special force from the local tribesmen to establish government's writ in the militancy-hit South Waziristan tribal region, the local administrative officer said Thursday.

Youth in the age of 18-25 from two major tribes, Mehsud and Waziris, will be recruited in phases and the process will start from May 3rd, Shahab Ali Shah, the Political Agent of South Waziristan told a news conference in Tank, a city at the edge of South Waziristan.

The recruits will be part of the "FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Regions) Levis Force" and South Waziristan will have some 4000 men. A total of 1,500 men will be recruited in the first phase to be completed on May 7th.

Youth from Mehsud Tribe will appear for recruitment at Manzai Fort and those who belong to Wazir Tribe will gather at Wana Camp, the official said. There will be no fixed education criteria for the recruitment but the candidates must have some literacy, Shah said.

"They will work like Waziristan police," Shah said, adding every tribe will have their quota but merit will get priority in the recruitment process.

Shah said that the whole phased recruitment will be completed in three years and the men will be imparted up to six months training.They will also get Special Risk Allowance. They will have a regular scale and promotion opportunities.

Special residential barracks will be established for them. The expenses are estimated to be around three billion rupees (about 0. 36 billion U.S. dollars), the official said.

He said that the phased return of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as the result of military operation against the militants in South Waziristan will begin in a month. A road-map is being prepared for the repatriation process which will be announced in the media, he said.

Pakistani security forces started military offensive against Taliban militants in Oct. 2009 in South Waziristan. The troops controlled main bases of the militants after several months' attack and are still conducting search and clearance operation in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

Source: People's Daily.
Link: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6968120.html.